Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is scheduled to make the biggest announcement of the college football offseason on Monday.
The third-year Alabama quarterback will decide whether to return for one final season in Tuscaloosa or leave early for the NFL Draft. Earlier in the 2019 season, it seemed a foregone conclusion the Crimson Tide signal-caller would leave after his junior season: He was widely considered the top prospect of the 2020 NFL Draft, and even after players such as LSU's Joe Burrow and Ohio State's Chase Young overtook him on the draft board, he was still a consensus top-five draft pick.
Tagovailoa's draft stock took a hit following a Nov. 16 injury vs. Mississippi State, however. He suffered a dislocated hip and posterior wall fracture, bringing into question whether he would ever be able to play again. Once it was established that he was expected to make a full recovery, many assumed he'd leave for the NFL to avoid further injuries at Alabama (he previously suffered high-ankle sprains in both legs).
That said, there have been rumors Tagovailoa wasn't completely satisfied with his draft outlook following the injury, causing speculation he would return to Alabama for a fourth and final season.
Here's everything you need to know about Tagovailoa's decision:
NFL MOCK DRAFT 2020: Where will Tua Tagovailoa go after leaving Alabama?
What time is Tua Tagovailoa's NFL Draft news conference?
Tagovailoa announced he would make his NFL Draft decision on Monday and will hold a news conference with Alabama coach Nick Saban at noon ET to announce it.
I’ll be making my decision on the 6th.. God bless and Roll Tide
— Tua. T 🇦🇸 (@Tuaamann) January 2, 2020
Where will Tua Tagovailoa announce his NFL Draft decision?
Tagovailoa will announce his NFL Draft decision on the campus of the University of Alabama, in the Naylor Stone Media Room at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility.
MORE: Tagovailoa draft decision: Weighing pros and cons of return to Alabama
Tua Tagovailoa's NFL Draft projection
According to mock NFL drafts by Sporting News and Yahoo Sports, Tagovailoa is projected to go No. 5 overall to the Miami Dolphins. He is mocked to go No. 6 to the Los Angeles Chargers and No. 7 to the Carolina Panthers by CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso and Josh Edwards, respectively.
Saban — who is derisive of media mock drafts — confirmed on Dec. 30 that Tagovailoa had received a top-15 NFL Draft grade, one of only a few players to earn that distinction. Saban said he'd received the grades Dec. 16.
"We only had one guy that has that high of a grade and he’s not going to be playing in the (Tide's Jan.1 Citrus Bowl) game because he’s injured," Saban said on his radio show (via AL.com). "And that injury may affect his grade, unfortunately, for him, right now."
